Collaboration With The Enemy
by alooriana
Summary: .. sano x kagurazaka .. Makoto realises that Sano has more control over him than he'd like to think, after a certain series of... interesting incidents.


High jumping is my life.

Since it's part of _his_ life as well, I have to admit that I'm not all that surprised this has happened, deny everything else though I may try. Every day when I begin training, every time I take a run up, every time I jump and every time I land, I find my mind wandering when it ought to be concentrated on one of few other things; technique, precision to name one of the select few. But instead, it's stuck on _him._

He's my mortal enemy. My nemesis, if you will. My thoughts towards him should be nothing short of malice and hate- and to some personal comfort, they _were_ until a few days ago. His disappearance from high jumping stole any sort of personal glory I could've received from my impressive career in his absence.

I had broken his records, won competitions- but it was never enough. Never. I wasn't considered a winner when I won, really; just someone walking eternally in his shadow, even when he wasn't there to cast it. First placings started to lose their appeal to me, medals and trophies appearing somewhat less desirable than they should've been. Along with this, slowly my love for high jumping began to dwindle as well, which was probably the first thing that changed my outlook on this entire situation. It disturbed me that just one factor could start to affect the thing I love most in my life.

Sano. As much as I hated him back then, as much as I was angry that the public wouldn't accept me in his place, I began to feel something else. A need.

He needed to come back, to start jumping again. It took me far too long to realise the fact that I needed Sano to come back into the picture before I could trust myself and my skill, to be sure that I was able to fulfill all these delusions of grandeur I was filling myself with. Begrudgingly, I knew that he was one of, if not the best- and arguably the best opponent to hone myself beside.

This was a year ago. A year ago may seem like a long time- okay, it _is_a long time. But I'm not exactly the person to go up to the man that was the epitome of my rage for the better part of twelve months and beg him to start again- and especially not when the rumors circulated about how much of a reclusive asshole he had become.

No; instead, I just did what my instincts told me to do, which was to be the same caustic son of a bitch that I usually am and to occasionally harass him with high jump trivia, as it seemed to hit him where it hurt. I particularly liked reminding him about his brother, Shin- the look on his face was always precious when I brought him up. It was only god-given luck that he had decided to go to my high-school instead of Sano's, and I grabbed that opportunity like a starving man and used it for all that it was worth.

I don't really know what made me stop that over the past week or so. Perhaps it was running into Sano's retarded friends that did it- (maybe their stupidity is contagious, which is why I'm in such an interesting predicament right now) - or perhaps it was the fact that he had invaded one of our practices and mechanically announced that he was going to compete in the nationals.

It changed everything, which was staggering. Suddenly there was another goal there for me, another obstacle to overcome- just because he had brought himself back on the scene. So, after this momentous occasion, what did I do?

I bought him a fruit basket when I heard he was sick.

Yes, a fruit basket. I don't really know to this day what compelled me to give him such a pointless thing, but I was in such a good mood after the news that I must've felt generous- especially since I traveled all the way over to the Osaka campus just to give it to him. Just to deliver a basket filled with oranges and pears.

However, I found myself assaulted by Sano's incredibly feminine looking room-mate (probably gay, I'd say) and was hauled to his room before I had the chance to complain. When questioned about the fruit basket, I tried to protest that I merely wanted Sano healthy so that he'd still compete, but Ashiya just raised an eyebrow at me and left the room.

Frowning, I observed my new surroundings for a couple of moments before I turned to my right and saw Sano lying prone on his bed, looking like he'd passed out after a heavy nights' drinking- which made me wonder what had been in the empty cup on his bedside table. From where I was standing, it did smell a little alcoholic- but I doubted that Sano was actually intoxicated. He was a serious athlete after all, and knew the dangers of drinking towards training, as we all did. Letting out a sigh, I dropped my school bag on the floor and took a seat as far on the edge of Sano's bed as I could manage, presuming that I was supposed to wait until he was gracious enough to wake up out of his coma.

Fortunately, only a few minutes ticked by before I heard stirring behind me, the telltale sound of sheets rustling indicating that he had woken up. Turning around slightly, I looked down at my 'nemesis', whom seemed to look a little confused- probably because I was the last person he'd expect in his room. Okay, better make this quick and then get out of here, before he decides to whip out his bastard routine.

"I heard that you were sic-"

"Kagura... zaka...?"

Rudely cut off, I gave Sano an annoyed look at his slurred words (because of being ill, I'm sure- colds wreck havoc with my system, at least) and decided that it would be a good idea to start again. Perhaps he hadn't heard me.

"I HEARD THAT YOU WERE SICK, AND-"

"... no need... to yell."

"Oh. Sorry."

Seriously, what was this guy on? He sounded like someone had stuck a pencil up his nose and swirled it around in his brain. Was he even sane enough to start highjumping again? I hoped so, as it wasn't looking very good for him at the moment. Sano let out a loud sigh and then struggled somewhat to sit up in his bed, a hand on his head as if he had a headache or something like it. Maybe yelling hadn't been the best idea in the world. I decided to let him recouperate for a moment before something I didn't expect happened.

A wide, predatory grin spread across his face, like a cat had just seen it's prey and was currently chasing after it as if the very fires of hell were licking it's paws. It was, I maintain, a look I had never imagined I would ever see on Sano's face, a guy who prides himself on his maturity (but really, maturity in his case just means he's an antisocial asshole), smirking as if he were about to eat me.

And then, he lunged forward and kissed me. _Kissed me. _Sano. Me. Kissing. Several things flew through my mind at this point, in this order.

1- What.

2- Sano is a guy.

3- Guys aren't supposed to kiss.

4- That cup DID have alcohol in it, didn't it?

5- What?!

6- This isn't bad, actually.

7- Oh, _what the fuck._

8- That fruit basket actually looks quite decorative on top of the stereo.

9- Oh god, I'm thinking about decor. Now I _really_ know I'm gay.

After that, my mind shorted out and refused to work. I froze in place, unable to move as I felt Sano's warm pressure against me, the smell of something at least a _little_ alcoholic hanging around now due to our close proximity. Out of the small fraction of my cognitive functions that were still working, half were asking 'when the hell will this end?!' and the other half was saying 'i hope to hell this doesn't end!'. I didn't really want to listen to the other half, so I decided to divert it to getting my body working again. It was just when I felt like I had regained enough composure to move my upper torso when Ashiya burst into the room and looked suitably shocked.

And he had right to, as well. In a flash, he had pulled Sano back down onto his bed after which he looked as though he had passed out into happy oblivion again, and I was left there looking like an idiot and in a confused mess. But mostly an idiot, really. I heard Ashiya's voice distantly calling to me, but it was another of those plentiful things that I chose to ignore, instead putting my fingers up to my lips where I could still feel the sensation of Sano kissing me and leaving them there.

About this time, my body kicked back into gear and I mechanically got up, ignoring the girly boy and walked to the door- though it barely registered that I had brought my bag with me, which I then stooped to pick up. Opening the door, exiting and closing it with my rear was all executed with an enviable precision, despite the daze that I was in. Sano. Hooked up. With me. And I hadn't been repulsed, like any normal human being should've. Leaning slightly against the door frame for the barest of seconds before making a hasty escape of the hellish complex, I dreaded the next few days and the sorting out of those thoughts that had run through my head as my mortal enemy had kissed me.

Especially number six.

Fucking fruit basket.


End file.
